Ashes

by SkyPone

Chapter 3: Forest's Edge

Everfree.

The name itself would shake any pony alive to their core. The reputation of the dark forest was one of the only things that went unchanged by the cataclysm. Scarcely anypony in the wasteland could say they’ve been to the forest and survived it. Few had ever escaped the horrors lying within, even fewer spoke of it. If you ever asked a pony their experience, their gaze would go to the distance, their voice would go cold, and their body would tense. Skyfall knew all of this, but he had no other choice...

If another option would get them out of here without getting automatically killed or captured, he would take it in a heartbeat. Sky grimaced, biting his lip. If he could fly… Actually fly, not just a heat of the moment lift off, maybe they could escape… He sighed and shook the thought from his mind, even the best flyers couldn’t hold full grown ponies on their backs.

The choice to go to the forest was ludicrous, but he’d promised Petal that the two of them would only be skimming the edge. The promise did little to make her feel better, even if she didn’t say so. Ever since the two of them left the roof of Rich Grocer he could feel her apprehensiveness growing by the second. Subtle hints gave it away, the way she carefully stepped, periodically looked over her shoulder, and jumped at the faintest hint of an unknown sound.

Sky didn’t blame her, he actually felt that Petal didn’t know the forest like he did. She wasn’t scared enough. Sky exhaled sharply, continuing his brisk trot through the darkened field. The only thing keeping him from reflecting Petal’s inhibitions was something he had barely ever felt. It was definitely a strange feeling. Petal was the first pony he’d met in years who didn’t try hurt him. For the first time in such a long while, Sky felt like he had somepony by his side. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.

Not again.

Sky blinked a few times, clearing his head. He had to stay focused. The idea to go the same way Spiker went was flawed, although his reasoning was sound. What sold him on the plan was that Spiker wouldn’t recheck an area he’d already been to, Sky doubted he had the intelligence to have the thought. Bandits weren’t the smartest bunch, but that didn’t discount how dangerous they were. There was still a long walk ahead, it wasn’t exactly a short trot to the Everfree forest.

Sky’s focus shifted back to Petal. Her bushy blond mane covered the left side of her face, making it impossible for Sky to read her. The stallion sighed, biting his lip and returning his gaze to the dark mass of trees ahead. There were too many questions to count. The most pressing in his head though...Who was she?

The mare wasn’t from here, the circumstances in which Sky had met her in the first place told him that much. The unfortunate truth was that if you weren’t part of the bandit clan or a slave, you were dead. Ponies like Sky were the exception. Surviving on your own, especially in this part of the wasteland required stealth and speed. Perfect attributes for recluses like him. Luckily for Sky, he possessed both.

Just because he couldn’t fly properly didn’t mean Sky had nothing to be thankful for. In an earth pony dominated part of the wasteland, his pegasus body had saved him more times than he could count. Sky distinctly remembered an encounter with bandits on the outskirts of town where his speed narrowly saved him from a barrage of arrows. He walked away from that one with only a graze. The long scar on his flank proved that much.

Sky bit his lip, the thoughts proved his point even more. If Petal had been here the whole time why hadn’t he seen her? Why hadn’t he heard rumors? She didn’t strike him as the loner type. After the years he’d spent in the area he’d amassed quite the reputation among the bandit clan.

Sky was the solitary pony that they could never catch. It was surprising to hear that neither Spiker or Slick didn’t even consider it was him who helped Petal. He shrugged it off, the clan getting a new member was like the sun rising in the morning. Their fear mongering had no match in this part of the wasteland.

So Petal wasn’t from here. Then where? It didn’t make sense to Sky why she’d be anywhere near this place. He sighed, Sky didn’t exactly want to interrogate her at the moment. She’d been through enough tonight. Even if he did want to ask he had no idea how he’d do it, talking to ponies wasn’t his strong suit. Sky usually ran from them. The questions could wait until morning.

Sky was surprised to see the forest drawing close, all that thinking put his body on autopilot. The moon hung overhead, night’s dark embrace still in full effect. Skyfall cleared his throat, hearing Petal’s breathing start to quicken beside him.

“Stay sharp up here,” he whispered, “Everything will be okay if we just stay quiet.” Sky looked around the edge for any signs of danger. He saw nothing except the gigantic trunks of the ancient trees before him. The sight did nothing to put his mind at ease. Sky brought his trot down to a slow crawl, perking his ears up, he heard nothing.

Sky snapped his eyes to Petal, who stopped dead ten steps behind him. He almost said something until he saw her face. The mare's eyes were wide with the same intense fear from earlier, but there was something new. Her mouth was hanging open in pure horror. Slowly, Sky turned his head to where she was looking and felt his heart drop. At the edge of the clearing, there were four stallions. Four dead stallions.

Sky felt his body come to an abrupt halt. He could feel his heart beating in his throat. His eyes focused on the group. They were all indistinguishable from each other, the crude spiked armor on one the only difference between them. He assumed this to be Spiker. All four were an unnatural light grey color, their manes all pale white. What scared Skyfall the most though, was their eyes. All wide with pure terror but completely empty, like bottomless pits.

Before Sky could say anything Petal was at his side tapping him. Skyfall blinked and turned to look at her. She had an urgent look on her face, the fear in her eyes multiplied tenfold.

“Skyfall we have to go, it’s not safe here,” She said quickly, her voiced strained and pressing, “I- We…” She was holding back something, looking over her shoulder and hastily tugging at his hoof, “Sky please, trust me. We have to get as far away from here as possible.” Petal bit her lip, continuing to pull.

The pegasus blinked a few times, looking from the dead bandits to her eyes. They told him everything he needed to know, “What did this to them…?” He tugged his hoof from her, taking a few steps back, “You know. How do you even know?” He eyed the horn on her head, feeling his breathing starting to rapidly increase. Sky knew the Everfree forest, and nothing on the edge could manage to do whatever killed these stallions.

“Please, Sky! Now is not the time, I-I…” She gritted her teeth, scanning their rear for any signs of threat, “They’ll kill you, just like them!”

Sky narrowed his eyes, “Kill me? You mean kill us both right?” Realization struck Sky like a moving train. His focus returned to her horn, the regret returning as any heartfelt feelings for her evaporated. He scoffed, disbelief filling him, “You know them? I...You didn’t think to tell me there were some crazies going around...” He looked back to the hollow looking bandits, “S-sucking the life from ponies?” He’d forgotten the number one rule of the wasteland, trust nopony.

Petal shook her head, “I didn’t think they’d come here... Not his fast..I don’t know how-” She stopped herself, looking down, “We just need to go, please... You helped me before. I swear I can explain Skyfall.” She gave him a pleading, but urgent look.

Sky huffed, looking down. Skyfall had given his trust to somepony and already they were lying to him? He sighed, letting his breathing steady. This confirmed his thoughts and suspicions. The pure shock of finding Spiker’s bandit crew had made him unstable. He’d let his emotions get the best of him. Sky gulped, locking eyes with Petal. She was right.

“I’m sorry, I just-” A sudden violent purple flash followed by an ear splitting explosion cut him off! Both Skyfall and Petal turned back to the town in time to see a giant purple fireball plume up into the night sky. Skyfall’s jaw dropped, eyes going wide with shock and terror. The ruined tower in the square was burning to the ground. He could hear the familiar sounds of screaming and fighting from here. Petal, on the other hoof, had her eyes locked on the field. Before Sky could have a look himself, a dark purple bolt of pure energy missed him by an inch.

Skyfall dived to the left, a volley of bolts lighting up the treeline. Each bolt hit the trees with an electric crack. The air smelled heavily like burning wood and ozone. Before Sky could get up and see the attackers, Petal was pulling him to his hooves. She yelled something but Sky couldn’t hear her, the force behind them was still firing relentlessly. The more energy bolts that came at them, the more precise they were becoming. They were getting closer.

There wasn’t any time for caution, Petal and Sky were in full flight mode. The unicorn ran in front with speed that surprisingly rivaled his own. Sky galloped after her, narrowly avoiding the Bolts best he could. He raised his head up and almost stopped dead in tracks. They were at the entrance to the Everfree forest.

Before Sky could attempt to tell Petal to stop, she was already inside. Sky winced, going full speed after her. Constant bolts of purple light flying past illuminated the dark trees as they ran, getting fewer and fewer the farther in they went. Whether he liked it or not, Sky was in the Everfree forest. He heard the attackers yell something behind him, but he couldn’t make it out. The bolts of purple got fewer and fewer, as did Sky and Petal get deeper and deeper.

Sky could barely see the silhouette of Petal as he kept running. His hooves were in overdrive, he could hear himself panting as he ran. Petal continued to outpace him, running quickly in front of him. He could barely make out the shape of her. Sky stole one last glance behind, the raging purple flames in the town the only source of any light. Whatever had attacked them it was beyond anything he’d ever seen, few times in his life Sky had ever felt this afraid.

A loud yelp in front of him broke his concentration. Before he could turn his head back to Petal, Sky was falling. He tried to spread his wings but he was too late. The pegasus hit the ground hard, starting to roll down something steep. Sky tried to scream. He felt his stomach collide with something dull, knocking the wind out of him.

Suddenly something very hard slammed into Sky's head. A few seconds later he was on flat ground, darkness and tiny specks of color consuming his vision. Even that was getting duller by the second. He let out a raspy breath, trying to see anything. Sky felt something very warm drip down his forehead and onto his muzzle. There a faint groan beside him, seeming to be a million miles away.

Sky was on his side, feeling as if a million sharp pins were pressing into him. The darkness was spinning. He felt his eyes closing, no struggle to keep them open. He tried to call out, to see if Petal was okay. He couldn't even manage that. With a shaky breath, Sky fell into the abyss.

Comments

[SkyPone]

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Thanks! Your feedback really means a lot. I'd love to discuss any improvements I could make! Recently things have been kind of crazy in life so I haven't been able to post here in awhile. That stuff has been cleared up now so the story is (kinda) back on track! I hope you enjoy the next three chapters and everything else yet to come!